Cognitive behavioural (CBT) therapy for anxiety and treatment for anxiety disorders,London Harley Street (UK).

The London Anxiety Clinic provides Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) as a treatment for anxiety disorders. We provide this as a stand alone therapy treatment for anxiety or CBT can be combined with our other anxiety treatment approaches. We want to ensure that you have a choice with the anxiety therapy that is provided. Our CBT therapy treatment is available online and at the clinic. 

Our anxiety treatments or anxiety therapy at the London anxiety clinic is specifically focussed to reduce or eliminate the current problems you are experiencing with anxiety and associated symptoms.

The evidence regarding CBT anxiety treatment shows:

CBT can be used for a diverse range of anxiety disorders including, social anxiety disorder, panic disorders, panic attacks, social phobia, agoraphobia, general anxiety disorder (or generalised anxiety), obsessive compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), health anxiety, phobias, body dysmorphic disorder and perinatal anxiety or perinatal OCD. Please click here to read more about the various types of anxiety, and please click hereto read about the types of symptoms  that can be experienced when suffering with anxiety. The London anxiety clinic specialises in the anxiety treatment of these areas.

CBT treatment, anxiety therapy and anxiety counselling, London anxiety clinic (UK) 

Many clients prefer the combination of CBT for anxiety with other psychological treatments that are available at the London Anxiety Clinic.

Through the specific techniques that you will be able to learn with me and practice. You are able to begin developing the skills and resources, changing and updating limiting beliefs, to create healthier and alternative thinking patterns. I will also show you how to disrupt and change the patterns of negative thinking, how to initiate the rest or calm phase in your nervous system, to become more adept at regulating the anxiety responses in your body.

CBT follows an anxiety treatment plan and collaboratively we create this treatment plan. Your anxiety treatment can be adjusted throughout the therapy to suit your needs and the changes that may appear. CBT anxiety therapy, focusses on the particular thinking styles and beliefs that may be contributing towards the feelings and behaviours that add to the anxiety. For example, we work with the cognitions (thoughts), the affect or emotions (that interact with the thoughts), the behaviours that evolve and the effect on the physiology of the body.

To understand more about the anxiety treatments provided at the London anxiety clinic, you can contact Mike Ward to request a complimentary telephone consultation.

Anxiety and negative thoughts - Core tendencies and thinking styles that can increase anxiety.

Along with the anxiety symptoms, types of anxiety and anxiety treatments that are available to read here at London anxiety Clinic website. Below I have provided some examples and ideas of the particular thinking styles that can contribute towards  negative thinking and associated anxiety behaviours and symptoms. Additionally I have provided further research about anxiety and the types of core tendencies that can increase anxiety. 

Following some recent research by Bird et al. (2013), they discussed and provided examples of the core traits or tendencies that may underpin the relationship between anxiety and depression. As you read the core tendencies below, please relate them to your experiences and see if they hold any meaning for you.

◦ Dysfunctional emotional regulation (Wells and Mathews 1994).

◦ Self-absorption, focussed on self (Ingam 1990).

◦ Repetitive negative thinking (Ehring and Watkins 2008).

◦ Self attacking thoughts (Gilbert and Irons 2004).

◦ Avoidance behaviours (Hayes et al. 1996).

ALL OR NOTHING THINKING:

Do you remember the marmite advert? ''you either love it or hate it'' Well this sums up the style of all or nothing thinking. Experiences maybe deemed good or bad, success or failure? It is where your views are split into extremes and there is no flexibility in seeing and experiencing the many other alternatives available. Language attributed to this style of thinking are the words '' Never, should, must, have to, always and every ''. These words create rigid rules about how to behave leading to feelings of frustration, resentment, guilt, shame and anger. My experience informs me that clients with anxiety and panic disorders are often susceptible to this type of thinking.

MENTAL FILTERS AND DISQUALIFYING THE POSITIVE:

Have you ever used a sieve? In the bowl underneath you have the ingredients you do want and what's left in the sieve is the ingredients you don't want? Well again this has a similarity to our mental filters, only in this case the focus becomes stuck on the 'stuff' you don't really want. Mental filters are there for a good reason, we receive so much stimulus through our senses that it is impossible to consciously take all this information in each day. When thinking or anticipating particular events and the style of thinking is negative, all the sifting out of the pleasant and rewarding experiences of life have been ignored and focus is only on the negative aspects and dissatisfaction. Have a look at where your focus is in thought regarding particular experiences, exams, a recent test, a meal out? For example, you pass a test and receive a 90% score, your focus of thought is on the 10% that you didn't get, sifting out and not really noticing the huge achievement of 90%. This type of thinking can lead to anxiety, low mood, self-defeating thoughts and depression.

CATASTROPHISING:

Remember the saying ''Making mountains out of mole hills''? Sometimes the internal thought is saying '' what if this happens, what if that happens, what if so and so... it will be a catastrophe. Again with this particular style of thinking greater focus is given to the worst possible outcome. You may have noticed already that the styles of thinking have similarities to each other, again this type of thinking can lead to signs of withdrawal, panic and anxiety, low mood and depression.

EMOTIONAL REASONING:

This style is all about that what you are feeling must be true? There becomes rigidness in the thinking style and belief. E.G I feel stupid so it means I am stupid, therefore others will think I am stupid. What happens here is that these thoughts then begin to generate the behaviours and you look for the evidence to prove it, which becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

MIND READING:

I like to call this crystal ball thinking or fortune telling. Now... human nature likes to have control and a degree of certainty about the future? I agree with this, I have plans for the week ahead, goals and aspirations and flexibility to change things as life unfolds. Now what happens in mind reading is again when thoughts become stuck and rigid, where there is a negative unrealistic prediction of a future event – resulting in feelings of doom and hopelessness. I am thinking it so it must be true and therefore the thought is taken as fact. Do you ever recall experiencing something and then after thinking it wasn't as bad as what you first thought? It's interesting to look at the initial thoughts.

To understand more about the anxiety treatments provided at the London anxiety clinic, you can contact Mike Ward to request a complimentary telephone consultation.

Throughout your treatment and counselling for anxiety, and in fact with all therapies that I provide, you will learn the skills  required to solve your problems,  so when you leave therapy, it is important that you continue to practice your CBT skills and strategies to ensure the mental habits you have changed for the better ,continue to create the healthy changes you want.